Antrodia camphorata (AC) is an endemic mushroom in Taiwan and grows in the internal heartwood (or the dark/humid wood surface) of the particular Cinnamomum kanehirai in 400 to 2000 meters altitude. Therefore, it is uneasily to find out the wide fruiting body of AC or identify the morphological appearance of this Aphyllophorales fungus. In addition, the price of AC is still high due to their biologically active components having potential pharmaceutical value.
The fruiting body of AC cannot be easily harvested and be artificially cultured. In addition, mycelia products of AC are popular in the market and announce to own anticancer activity, reduced cancer therapy-related symptoms and other side effects, anti-oxidation, anti-hypersensitivity and immunostimulatory effects.
In immune response, the stimulated and activated dendritic cells (DCs) emerge as the antigen presenting cells (APCs) to present antigens toward unprimed T lymphocytes (Hart et al., 1997). The maturation and functions of DCs are tightly regulated by cytokines and costimulatory signals (Martinez et al., 2007). Recent research is found that the DC-based immunotherapy is able to apply in treating malignancies (Banchereau et al., 2003). The maturation process is the main function of DCs and enables one cell to perform different, highly specialized functions sequentially. Many stimuli, including lipopolysaccharide (LPS), can induce the maturation process of DCs in vitro.
In the present researches, polysaccharides produced from this medical mushroom can be new pharmaceuticals for inducing the maturation and activation of DCs. Therefore, when searching for new cancer immunotherapy agents, the edible and medicinal fungi being used for cancer treatment in folk medicine are promising candidates, wherein AC is the most popular one.
Taiwan Patent No. 1299665 discloses an extract of AC and the preparing method thereof, wherein polysaccharide is obtained from extraction of mycelia of Taiwanofungus camphoratus with ethanol so as to inhibit the activity of matrix metalloproteinases. However, the extraction is not performed with the fruiting body of AC, and the product also cannot inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Taiwan Patent No. 1279439 discloses inoculate obtained from incubating mycelia of AC by adjusting the pH value at incubation, but there is not extraction method disclosed. Taiwan Patent No. 591110 discloses that γ-aminobutyric acid is extracted from the lyophilized mycelia of AC with water or organic solvents. However, the above-mentioned inventions do not disclose any product of the wild fruiting body of AC extracted with water or organic solvent, and the effect of ACW on DCs is not identified in the immune response.
It is therefore attempted by the applicant to deal with the above situation encountered in the prior art.